Sheaths, or catheters, are commonly used in minimally invasive medical procedures, for example, to provide a pathway for the introduction of elongate medical devices into the vascular system of a patient. Many medical devices, introduced in such a manner, through a lumen of the sheath, are intended to indwell within the patient for a prolonged period, for example, extending from a number of days to many years. After the indwelling medical device has been inserted within the lumen of the sheath, for positioning within the patient, it is desirable to remove the sheath from the patient without dislodging the indwelling device.
A number of slitting tools, known to those skilled in the art, are used to remove sheaths from about indwelling medical devices. However, these tools present one or more difficulties to the user, for example, with respect to handling.